Sri Lanka’s Udeshika Prabhodhini becomes No 1 T20I bowler

ICC Media Release

Sri Lanka’s Udeshika Prabhodhani has jumped five places to take over as the number-one ranked bowler for the first-time ever in the latest Reliance ICC Women’s Player Rankings for T20I Bowlers. Shashikala Siriwardena takes over as the number-one ranked all-rounder.

The latest player rankings were released on Wednesday at the end of the group stage of the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2014 in Sylhet. The four teams that have progressed to the semi- finals are Australia, England, South Africa and West Indies. The semi-finals will be played in Dhaka on 3 and 4 April, while the final will be held on held on Sunday, 6 April.

Prabodhani, who claimed five wickets at an average of 9.40 and at an economy of 3.35, now has a best-ever 657 ratings points. The left-arm medium-pacer now leads number-two ranked New Zealand’s Morna Nielsen by just five ratings points. Nielsen herself moved up a place to a career-best second.

The most impressive jump was that of Bangladesh captain Salma Khatun, who jumped 18 places to a best-ever third place with a career-best 643 ratings points. Khatun picked up six wickets from four matches at an average of 10.33 at an economy rate of 3.87.

The top 10 of the bowlers’ table has seen a few other changes as well.

Shaquana Quintyne of West Indies in seventh (up by four) has made a return to the top 10, while Sri Lanka’s Shashikala Siriwardena has moved up four places to ninth and Australia bowler Sarah Coyte is now in tenth place (up by nine).

West Indies has three bowlers in the top 10, the most for any team. Sri Lanka has two, while Australia, Bangladesh, England, New Zealand and South Africa have one bowler each.

Outside the top 10, the major movers are Shibnam Ismail (up by five) and Ellyse Perry (up by two) in joint 12th, Anya Shrubsole in 15th (up by 24), Tremayne Smartt in 16th (up by six) and Isobel Joyce in 19th (up by four).

Lanning has scored 184 runs from four games at an average of 46 and a strike rate of 167.27. She is also the only batter to have hit a hundred in the tournament, with her knock of 126 against Ireland also being her career-best.

England captain Charlotte Edwards has moved up a place to second, swapping places with teammate Sarah Taylor. Stafanie Taylor has risen one spot to seventh, while Harmanpreet Kaur has re-entered the top 10 in ninth place (up by two).

India now has three batters in the top 10, the most for any team. Australia, England and West Indies have two, while New Zealand has one batter in the top 10.

The only other positive movements inside the top 20 are, Ireland’s Isobel Joyce in 13th (up by six) and Lizelle Lee in 20th (up by eight).

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka captain Siriwardena has taken over as the number-one ranked all-rounder for the first-time ever on the Reliance ICC Women’s Player Rankings for T20I All-rounders. Also moving up three places to a best-ever second is Bangladesh skipper Salma Khatun.

The player rankings will now be updated on Monday, 7 April, after the final of the tournament.